Dubai: Tens of thousands of environmentally conscious volunteers, from schools to corporate offices, will descend upon all corners of the UAE in the days to come as part of the annual environmental big clean-up by Emirates Environmental Group (EEG).
As many as 125,000 people are expected to take part in Clean UP UAE 2015, a 11-day sweep of the country from December 5-16.
Last year, 123,000 participants collected 94 tonnes of waste.
“This is one of our most important events of the year and we are expecting even more people to attend this year,” Habiba Al Marashi, EEG founder and chairman told Gulf News on Sunday. “It gets more popular year after year.”
This year marks the 14th year for the major community environment campaign, she said, testimony that students, private institutions and adults across all walks of life are keen to do their part to help the environment.
Habiba said this year’s theme is ‘Clean Up, A leap forward for a better future’ and aims for ecological protection, grass roots collection of recyclables and raising awareness in the community.
In a schedule released on Sunday by EEG, the first clean-up event will be held on December 5 in Dubai, in Sharjah on December 7, in Ajman on December 8, in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain on December 8, in Ras Al Khaimah on December 10, in Umm Al Quwain on December 12, in Fujairah on December 13 and finally ending on December 16 in Dibba Al Hisn.
Marking what has become a tradition, EEG volunteers will plant indigenous trees on December 15 during a special celebration event in Fujairah.
Habiba said, “The current session of the campaign is designed to emphasise the importance of collective action to make the world a cleaner place, as well as to highlight the responsibilities and procedures to be followed by individual actions.”
Habiba stated that cleaning activities in each emirate will focus on specific areas which require more attention to fix, especially on the beaches and desert areas.
The EEG is encouraging companies to participate in large numbers within their own facilities to inculcate the culture of sustainability in their respective organisations.
